Back to the Minors: The Talented 8-Year-Olds of LTRC

After the second or third game of a tournament, even the most talented and athletic members of the Orioles will start to blow dandelions in the outfield, get annoyed at the laces in their cleats, and cry if they strike out.

That's because most of the players are 7 and 8 years old.

However, they are also the first players to sprint excitedly towards a diamond, screaming with joy, when a game is scheduled to begin.

The players’ enthusiasm offsets their young attention spans. The LTRC Orioles travel baseball team, composed of 13 boys, has taken rec baseball to a new level since its involvement, last year and this year, with the Baltimore County Metropolitan League, a league of 13 local teams that play each other. "Travel," for an 8-year-old in Timonium, involves a drive to Catonsville.

They’ve had quite a season. After a rough first game this spring, while the youngest players struggled to learn the ropes, they have gone on to win four games in a row and swept a weekend-long tournament.

Memorial Day weekend marks their second tournament this season—this time, they will "travel" to Rosedale.

Coach Rob Jensen explained the difference between the travel team and in-house rec baseball.

"Coaches will pitch and catch," Jensen said of in-house baseball. "Outs are sometimes recorded, and a plastic tee is available. Everybody bats—there’s no stress."

Jensen noted that many kids of that age are just learning how to swing a bat and catch a ball.

"Travel baseball is completely the opposite," said Jensen, whose son, Mikey, plays for the Lutherville-Timonium Recreation Council (LTRC) Orioles. Mikey is one of the two team members who has already turned 9 since the start of the season, and thus is considered an absolute pro. "It’s tough. The kids pitch to each other, kids catch, and outs are recorded. It’s as close to real baseball as you can get at this age."

There’s still no stealing or leading off. But the catcher has to wear a cup, and the ball is hard—not a squishy training ball. That counts as real baseball.

"At least half the kids on our teams are amazing athletes," said Jensen, who began coaching the team this year. The Orioles practice once a week and play a game once a week, but their schedule doubles when they honor their in-house team commitments, too. It triples on tournament weekends.

"Some pitchers are pitching 50 miles per hour, which is amazing at that age," he said.

Jensen remembers that Mikey was one of the youngest players last year, and he is astounded at his son’s improvement.

"He went from being from the second-worst player last year, to being the big stud this year," chuckled Jensen, with a bluntness that appears to be characteristic of the team’s parents.

He, like the rest of the parents, puts in his time on the field because his son genuinely loves the sport, and not because he is pushing a young child to over-perform.

Alison Tunison seconds the down-to-earth attitude.

Tunison is Griffin’s mom, and Griffin is the other old man on the team, also having already turned 9. He and Mikey are the only two original players from last year’s team—the others have moved up to the next age division.

Surrounded now by boys a year younger than them and with dozens of games less experience, Griffin and Mikey have the opportunity this year to show leadership, build self-confidence, and wow their younger teammates with their skills. Griffin has an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging average) of 1.100.

"What’s been really nice to see is the kids just all love playing baseball," said Tunison. "They work really well together and they have a lot of fun doing it. They’re not there because they have wackadoo parents. They love to do it and we love to watch them do it."

Jensen mentioned the kids’ wide-eyed whisperings of a formidable team from White Marsh that is not only undefeated, but has yet to allow a single run in a game.

"I don’t know if that’s true," said Jensen. "There are a couple of teams we’ve heard whispers and rumors about, one of which we’re going to play on Saturday."

When asked how high his players’ confidence levels are, Jensen laughed.

"Probably a little too high."